Church Aperitivo Bar has been wooing west end cocktail enthusiasts since opening this past February. With its lengthy bar and cavernous feel, owner Sandra Cassaro has maintained the sanctity of the space, offering up a daily selection of Italian antipasti and stuzzichini to those who pop in for a drink.">

Drink This: Church Aperitivo Bar’s Cain & Abel

By Karolyne Ellacott

Published: Wednesday, Sep. 12, 2012, 10:29 AM

Sitting pretty in a former Slavic Pentecostal church, the aptly named Church Aperitivo Bar has been wooing west end cocktail enthusiasts since opening this past February. With its lengthy bar and cavernous feel, owner Sandra Cassaro has maintained the sanctity of the space, offering up a daily selection of Italian antipasti and stuzzichini to those who pop in for a drink.

The cocktail menu plays on the religious theme, with seasonal picks including more heavenly tipples such as The Saint, in addition to ones bearing more ominous monikers, like our choice, Cain & Abel ($12). Intent on adding a “more masculine option” to their cocktail roster, this pick, named after the infamous brothers, is part of their new fall menu. Built from Maker’s Mark bourbon and Cointreau triple sec liqueur, the beverage is finished with their house-made Earl Grey crème simple syrup. Topped up with some freshly squeezed lemon juice, the final touch is a curl of lemon rind and a maraschino cherry.

It’s up to you whether you’d like to end on a sinfully sweet note—or not.